India Arie sings Lloyiso's praises: 'He sings with so much heart'

Lloyiso Gijana is receiving praise from a Grammy Award-winning "Soulbird".  India Arie took to social media recently to praise the "striking" artist. 

She says she became a big fan of Lloyiso after watching "a bunch of his videos". 

"He sings with so much heart and depth that it is striking. He is striking. A lot of people can sing notes but it is a more rare thing to see people go to this place when they sing. He goes to this place.  I just watched a bunch of his videos one night," she said.

India Arie, who is known for hits such as 'Brown Skin' and 'Soulbird Rise', says she reached out to Lloyiso via a direct message on social media.

Lloyiso had not replied by the time she recorded the video, and his fans encouraged him to do so. 

He revealed on Twitter that he did eventually respond to her message. 

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Lloyiso appeared in season 11 of 'Idols SA' in 2015. He was just 16 at the time. He returned to high school after the show but continued to wow people with his soulful voice. 

He has several hits under his belt, including 'Indlovu' with DJ Zinhle.  

Lloyiso attracted the attention of music heavyweights in America last year. New York City-based label, Republic Records, signed him as one of its new artists in September. 

Lloyiso is the first South African musician to sign with the label. "Lloyiso has all the makings of a career superstar," Executive Vice President of A&R, Brett Alperowitz, said in a statement. 

He is also signed with Universal Music Group South Africa. 

Lloyiso's latest single, 'Seasons', is also a major hit with fans.

"This boy has the ability to cut deep into my soul every time I hear him……His gift transcends musical genres, cultural backgrounds, national affiliations, and religious beliefs!!! His sound is overwhelmingly beautiful!! Man all I can do is cry…" one fan wrote on YouTube.

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Lloyiso is also known for his amazing covers of big songs. He recently covered Adele's 'Easy On Me'.

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Main image credit: Instagram, Twitter/@indiaarie, @lloyiso_rsa